Henry Singer Award
The 21st Annual Henry Singer Awards will take place October 3, 2012.
Please contact the School of Retailing office at (780) 248-1238.
About the Award
The Henry Singer Award was established at the Alberta School of Business in 1992 to recognize an exceptional leader in the retailing and services sectors. The Award honours the memory of another remarkable individual, the late Henry Singer.
The Henry Singer Award recipient is as committed to building their community as they are to building their business. The recipient possesses the gifts of fairness, humour, empathy, and respect for and acceptance of all people. He shows a deep commitment to family, friends, associates and the community.
In the past, over 600 business leaders came together for the award presentation, keynote address by the recipient, and a networking dinner.
In 2007, three new awards were also presented: Outstanding Alberta School of Business Alumni with a Career in the Retailing Sector, Outstanding Researcher with Work in Retailing, and Outstanding Contribution to the Retailing Industry by an Independent Retailer. To nominate an individual for these awards or for more information click here.
This Year's Recipient
The 2012 Henry Singer Award recipient will be Karen Flavelle, Chief Executive Officer, Purdy's Chocolates
Purdy’s Chocolates, founded in 1907, is the largest retailer of premium chocolates in Western Canada and second largest in Canada. Purdy’s is a chain of 59 stores, with a 57,000 square foot chocolate factory, and a 70,000 square foot warehouse and offices, all located in Vancouver, BC.
Karen came to Purdy’s in 1994, to take up the position of Executive Vice-President. After a smooth transition with her father, in 1997 Karen became President, bought the business and has been sole owner and Chief Executive Officer ever since. In 2012, she relinquished her role as President to Purdy’s Chief Operating Officer.
Prior to Purdy's Chocolates, Karen completed a B.Comm at Queen’s University, lived in Japan and Asia for 2 years, and then started her career in packaged goods marketing with General Mills in Toronto. After 5 years there, Karen went to London, England to work in Marketing Consulting for a year. Returning back to Canada, Karen embarked on a restaurant marketing career with Swiss Chalet – a $250,000,000 chain of 140 family style restaurants, based in Toronto.
Karen’s present Board positions are with the Retail Council of Canada and International Council of Shopping Centre’s Board of Governors.
Karen and Purdy’s have won numerous business awards: Influential Women in Business Award, Centennial Recognition Award – International Council of Shopping Centres, Business Hall of Fame – Vancouver Board of Trade, #1 – Golden Plate Readers’ Choice Award, BC Hall of Fame for Excellence in Food Processing (Lifetime Achievement Award), One of the Biggest BC Businesses Owned by Women (#2/100), four-time winner of “One of Top 50 Companies to Work for in Canada”, awarded licensee status for boxed chocolates for 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, nominated for Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
Married, with 3 young adult age children, Karen has a passion for cycling, rollerblading and skiing.
Sponsors of the event
Thank you to all the sponsors of this year's event!
For information about sponsorship packages available please click
here
The Executive in Residence is a two day period near the end of January where the Recipient of the Henry Singer Award comes back to the Alberta School of Business at the University of Alberta. During this time, the recipient will speak in a variety of Undergraduate courses as well as attend a luncheon with MBA students hosted by the MBA office.
An annual dinner hosted by the School of Retailing attended by Faculty of the Alberta School of Business as well as Partners of the School of Retailing takes place on the first evening of the recipient's two day visit. The dinner gives our partners and faculty the opportunity to openly discuss and share the business challenges that the recipient's company faces. We ask that the recipient throw out a challenge, innovation or dilemma that they are currently facing for an open discussion with School of Retailing partners and academics.
This year the School of Retailing welcomed Annette Verschuren, Former President, The Home Depot Canada back to the Alberta School of Business on February 1 and 2, 2011. Dinner with the faculty and partners of the School of Retailing took place at the Mayfair Golf and Country club.
To find out more about this event, or other events hosted by the School of Retailing, please contact Erin Hamilton at 780-248-1238 or SchoolofRetailing@ualberta.ca